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(No Model.) 17 Sheetg-Sheet 1.

I H. PLATZ & HUIZER. APPARATUS FOR FILLING TUBES WITH VISGID 0R SEMI-FLUID MATERIAL.

No. 578,944. Patented Mar. 16, 1897.

-(No Model.) 17 Sheets-Sheet 2 H. PLATZ 8vS. L. HUIZBR.

APPARATUS FOR FILLING TUBES WITH VI-SGID 0R SEMI-FLUID (No Model.) 17 Sheets-Sheet 3 H. PLATZ & s. L. HUIZER. APPARATUS FOR FILLING TUBES WITH VISGID 0R SEMI-FLUID MATERIAL.

No. 578,944. D I L Patented Mar. 16, 1897.

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17 Sheets-Sheet 4 H. PLATZ 81; S. L. HUIZBR. APPARATUS FOR FILLING TUBES WITH VISGID 0R SEMI-FLUID MATERIAL.

(No Model.)

No. 578,944. Patented-Mar. 16, 1897.

(No Model.) 17 Sheets-Sheet 5,

H. P'LATZ & S. 'L. HUIZ-ER. APPARATUS FOR FILLING TUBES WITH VI'SGI D' 0R SEMI-FLUID MATERIAL.

No. 578,944. Patented Mar. 16,1897.

' 17. Sheets-Sheet 6 H.. PLATZ & S. L. HUIZER. APPARATUS FOR FILLING TUBES WITH VISCID 0R SEMI-FLUID (No Model.)

Patented Mar. 16, 1897.

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H. PLATZ & S. L. HUIZER. APPARATUS FOR FILLING TUBES WITH VISGID OR. SEMI-FLUID MATERIAL. 7 N0. 578 944. Patented Mar. 16,1897. 7 Fly/ 1 L 12 a I I?! 1 I J1 )2 I O 1E LUAIUnwoe w l::

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H. PLATZ & S. L. HUI'ZBR. V APPARATUS FOR FILLING TUBES WITH VISGID 0B. SEMI-FLUID MATERIAL.

- Patented Mar. 16, 1897.

I A J Iii l (No Model.) 17 sheetssheet 12 H. PLATZ & S. L. HUIZER. APPARATUS FOR FILLING TUBES WITH VISGID'OR SEMI-FLUID MATERIAL.

No. 578,944 4 I Patented- Mar. 16,1897. 7

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(No Model.) Q 17 $heets+-Sheet 13 H. PLATZ 82: S. L. HUIZ-ER APPARATUS FOR FILLING TUBES WITH VISGID 0R SEMI-FLUID MATERIAL. No. 578,944.

Patented Mar. 16,1897.

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(No Model.) 1 n SheetsSheet 14 H. PLATZ 82; S. L. HUIZER. APPARATUS FOR FILLING TUBES WITH VISGID 0R SEMI-FLUID MATERIAL.

' Patented Mar. 16,1897.

(N0 Model.)

' 17 Sheets-:Sheet 15, H. PLATZ 85 S. L. HUIZER.

APPARATUS FOR FILLING TUBES WITH VISGID 0R SEMI-FLUID MATERIAL.

No. 578,944. Patented Mar. 16 1897.

' 17 Sheets-Sheet 16. H. PLATZ & S. L. HUIZER.. APPARATUS FOR FILLING TUBES WITH VISGID 0R SEMI-FLUID a.tented Mar. 16, 1897.

MATERIAL.

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(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

.HERMANN PLATZ, OF OARLSRUHE, GERMANY, AND SAMUEL LEENDERT IIUIZER, OF GRAVENI-IAGE, NETHERLANDS, ASSIGNORS TO THE DEUTSCHE METALLPATRONENFABRIK, OF OARLSRUI-IE, GERMANY.

APPARATUS FOR FILLING TUBES WITH VISCID R SEMIFLUID MATERIAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 578,944, dated March 16, 1897.

Application filed April 24, 1895. Serial No. 547,033. (No model.) Patented in Germany December 9,1894,No. 84,754; in EnglandJanuary19,l895, No.1,321; in France January 19, 1895, No. 244,465 in Belgium January 19,1895,N0. 113,708; in Switzerland January 19, 1895, No. 9,894 and No. 9,966,- in Hungary February 8,1895,N0. 2,138; in Austria June 9, 1895,.N0. /2,079; in India August 22, 1895, No. 2,417; in Straits Settlements A t 30, 1895,110. 320; in Ceylon September 18, 1895, No. 482, and in Hang-Kong October 1, 1895.

T0 on whom it may concern den moving apart of the tube and syringe. Be it known that we, HERMANN PLATZ, a In this operation account must be taken of subject of the Emperor of Germany, residing the fact that the viscid mass is compressed at Oarlsruhe, Grand Duchy of Baden, Gersomewhat by the pressure of the piston or 5 many, and SAMUEL LEENDERT HUIZER, a subplunger of the syringe and expands again on ject of the Queen of the Netherlands, residing being released from such pressure. On this at Gravenhage, in the Kingdom of the Nethaccount, after the filling has been effected, erlands, have invented a certain new and usethe further operation must be suspended unful Improvement in Apparatus for Filling til the mass remaining in the syringe has eX- 10 Tubes with Viscid or Semifiuid Material, (for panded again, and has thereby ejected a furwhich we have obtained Letters Patent in the ther quantity into the tube, or the capacity following countries: Austria, dated June 9, of syringe must be so adjusted that it is prac- 1895, No. 45/2,079; Belgium, dated January tically emptied at each filling operation, so 19, 1895, No. 113,708; Ceylon, dated Septemthat no expanding action occurs. Further- 6o :5 her 18, 1895, No. 482; France, dated January more, it is of advantage to wait a little with 19, 1895, No. 244,465; Germany, dated Dethe breaking action of the thread after the cember 9, 1894, No. 84,754; Great Britain, filling in order that the thread may become dated January 19, 1895,No.1,321; Hong-Kong, somewhat attenuated by sinking down,wheredated October 1, 1895; Hungary, dated Febby the breaking is facilitated. 6 5 2o ruary 8, 1895, No. 2,138; India, dated August \Ve will describe the construction of ma 22, 1895, No. 2,417; Straits Settlements, dated chinery for carrying out the above-described August 30, 1895, No. 320, and Switzerland, process with reference to the accompanying dated January 19, 1895, No. 9,894 and No. drawings, which show a machine in which 9,966,) of which the following is a specificathe syringes are fixed to the framing, while 25 tion. the tubes are movable.

This invention relates to machinery or ap- Figures 1, 2, and3 show, respectively, a side paratus for automatically filling tubes with a view, front view, and section on line I II, Fig. viscid or semifluid mass, such, for instance, 2, of a machine with a single syringe for fillasopium. Forthe fillingcylindricalsyringes ing a single tube at a time. Figs. 4 and 5 30 or syringes with long nozzles are employed. show on a larger scale the single tube table or The main point to be observed is that the holderin various positions. Figs. 6 to Sshow tubes shall be very uniformly filled and that a side View, plan, and section of a filling-mathere shall be no cavities or air-bubbles in the chine with a number of syringes. lVe esteem charges. For this purpose the tube is so this the preferable construction, showing the 3 5 placed under the syringe that the nozzle single machine mainly to illustrate the acreaches almost to the bottom, and then as the tion. Fig. 8 is a view showing detached the tube fills either this is lowered or the syringe loose connections for the supply of viscid is raised. or both motions are effected, so that material. Figs. 9 and 10 show on a larger the discharge-openings shall follow the level scale vertical sections of part of the more 40 of the mass during the entire filling. On the efficient machine, with a syringe and a tuberemoval of the filled tube care must be taken holder in two positions. Figs. 11 to 16 show that the viscid thread of semiliquid material on a larger scale details of the construction, hangingdown from syringe shallnotbe drawn Figs. 11 to 18 showing the coupling device out considerablyin length and thus cause the for throwing the syringe in and out of action, 0

4,5 soiling of the tube. This is prevented by Fig. 14 the nozzle of the syringe, and Figs. causingthe said thread to be brokenby a sud- 15 and 16 the tube-holder in two views at right angles to each other. Figs. 17 and 18 represent developments of the cam-grooves for regulating the motions of the plungers and tubes. Figs. 19 and 20 show in two views the arrangement for connecting and disconnecting the coupling of the plunger-rods of the syringe. Fig. 2O is a Vertical section through a portion on alarger scale. Fig. 20 is a horizontal section on the line Z) l) in Fig. 20. Figs. 21 to 24: show the arrangement for disconnecting the tubeholders. Figs. 25 to 33 show the arrangement for the automatic feed of the tubes, Fig. 25 showing the side view, Fig. 26 the front View, and Fig. 27 a plan view, of the tube-feed channel with closing device. Figs. 28 and 2S show a horizontal section on line III IV, Fig. '25,- with two positions of the parts. Fig. 29 is a section through the tube-ejector, while Figs. 30 to 33 show separate details. Figs. .34 to 37 show an apparatus for cleansing the syringe-nozzles, Fig. 3a showing a side View, Fig. 35 a cross-section, Fig. 36 a plan view, and Fig. 37 a detached detail.

In general similar letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures where they appear. Any exception will be plainly designated.

In the machine shown at Figs. 1 to 5 the syringe A is fixed in a vertical position to the arm a of the standard Ct. The viscid mass is supplied to it by means of a channel connected to the branch pipe A. The plunger B, moving in the syringe, forms the lower end of a rod Z), that is guided in its upand-down motion by the arm a of the framing. The motion of the. rod 1) is effected by the crank c, the rod 0 from which imparts an up-anddown motion to a slide 11 working between guides on the framing and to which the rod 1) is attached at Z). Below the syringe A is a table D, on which the tube to be filled is accurately held in with the axis of the syringe by a suitable socket. The table with the socket also has an up-and-down motion simultaneously with the plunger of the syringe, the downward motion being effected by the plunger-rod I), while the upward motion is effected by the balance-weight t. The mode of moving the tube is of great importance for effecting the filling of the tubes in a proper manner. In particular no bubbles or cavities must be produced. In order to prevent this, the table with the tube is, at the commencement of the filling, held so high that the long nozzle A of the syringe reaches nearly to the bottom of the tube. The table D then moves with the tube in proportion to the descent of the plunger, that is to say, so that the mouth of the syringe is always at about the same level as that of the mass.

When the tube is filled to the extent required and the plunger has completed its downward motion, the thread of the mass hanging down from the nozzle must be broken off, in order that the tube may be removed from its holder without soiling the same.

This tearing off of the viscid thread is effected by the sudden lowering of the tube by causing the table tofall. It is shown from experience to be of advantage for the breaking of the thread to have the sudden downward motion of the tube delayed a little for two reasons. In the first place, in consequence of the considerable pressure exercised by the plunger upon the viscid and more or less elastic mass, this is compressed to a certain extent in the syringe, owing to its resistance to flow through the very narrow channel of the nozzle, and as soon as the pressure ceases after the completion of the plungers stroke the mass in expanding again causes a further quantity to flow out of the nozzle. Although this may be prevented by an arrangement of the plunger, to be presently described, whereby practically the whole mass is expelled from the syringe, ,yet the delay of the downward motion of the tube is nevertheless of advantage, because the viscid thread has time to stretch and thereby to become thinner, which facilitates the breaking thereof. The said motion is effected automatically as follows:

In a projection of the column a there is a vertically-movable rail g, as shown at Figs. 4 and 5. At about the middle it carries the lever 7t with the two beaks h and W. On the lower beakv 72. rests, during the filling, the table D, carrying the tube, which table also slides vertically in guides on the projection of the column. At the commencement of the filling the lever i, loaded with the weight 2 holds the rail g in the raised position by pressing against a stop 9 thereof, while the table D rests on the beak 71 At top the rail 9 has an arm g, that lies in the path of rod f, connected to the rod 1). Both rods are connected at top by a transverse piece f, Fig. 2. The rodfis also guided at f on the arm a of the column and has at bottom a collar f During the descent of the plunger the mass in the syringe is in the first instance compressed. At the moment afterward, when the mass begins to flow out, the rod f bears with the collar f against the arm g of the rail 9 and moves this downward, together with the table D, carried thereby. After the complete descent of the table this is released by causing the beak h to strike against a stop h in consequence whereof the lever h, Fig. 5, turns so that its beak 7L2 moves from under the table, but as the table, as before explained, is not to drop at once, but it is to remain a certain time at rest, a locking device is provided whereby the rail 9 is put in and out of action. This device consists of two upright fingers 7t and that are fixed on a spindle 70, which carries a horizontal arm k which is pressed upward by a spring k so that the fingers are therebypresscd with spring action against the rail g. -On the downward motion of g the tapered lower end 9 thereof pushes the one finger 70 back and thereby causes the other one 70 to move into IIO a position in which it stops the downward motion of the table, as at Fig. 5, until, on the rea-scent of the plunger-rod, the rail is raised to such an extent by the weighted lever 2' 'i that its end g releases the locking device again, so that the fingers 7c and 71: are forced back again by the spring It. The table then suddenly sinks into the lowest position, (shown I in dotted lines in Fig. 5,) thereby causing the viscid thread to be broken, as before described.

The stop 71 is preferably made adjustable,as shown, so that the moment at which the table is liberated can be accurately adjusted to the moment when the plunger-rod has completed its downward stroke.

After the table D has sunk the filled tube is removed and replaced by an empty one. To facilitate the removal and introduction of the tubes, the tube-holder C rests 011 a slide that can be drawn forward on the table D when the spring-catch D is pressed downward.

The machine is not actuated directly by the shaft carrying the crank 0, but by the shaft (1, the arrangement of which is shown in the section, Fig. 3. It transmits its motion by means of the worm d to a worm-wheel c on the crank shaft. d are the driving-pulleys. The putting in and out of action is efiected by the lever e, fixed on a shaft 6, connected by the arm 6 the rod 6 and lever c with the coupling (Z The spring acting on the arm 6 Fig. 2, holds the lever 6, with the beak c pressed continuously against the periphery of the crank-plate c. The latter has a notch, and as soon as the lever falls with its beak 6 into this the coupling is thrown out. The throwing out of action is effected automatically after each operation, the notch of 0 being so placed that the throwing out of gear is effected at the moment when the syringe-plunger has passed slightly up from its lowest position to such an extent as to suck back the mass still contained in the syringe in order to prevent any dropping. The throwing in gear is effected by pressing down the lever-e, which must be kept down until the crank-plate c has turned to such an extent that the beak c is no longer situated over the notch. If the machine is to work uninterruptedly, it is only necessary to secure the stopping mechanism in the starting position, Fig. 2, this being effected by a nipping-screw e or by other means. I

The machine may of course be modified in its details, particularly as regards the stopping mechanism and the locking device for the table. The essential feature is the relative motion between the syringe-plunger and the tube.

Figs. (3, 7, and 8 show a machine for filling tubes in which a n umber of syringes are made to operate simultaneously, the operation be ing effected in stages, the separate tubes being not all filled simultaneously, but consecutively, so that there is always a filled tube being removed and replaced by an empty one,

whereby the machine is rendered capable of giving a large yield of filled tubes with little labor. The speed with which the machine operates is still further increased by arranging in combination therewith an automatic feed of the empty tubes and removal of the filled ones. In the reciprocal action of the syringes and the tubes each tube is first made to descend gradually during the filling and then to drop suddenly for breaking the viscid thread. The construction of the machine will be readily seen in Fig. 8. The framing consists of the base E and the upper part G, which two parts are firmly connected by columns. The base is surrounded by a ring H, which has guiding cam-grooves that, as will be presently explained, effect the up-and-dowu motion of the tubes. A similar ring J, with cam-groove, is provided at the upper frame 0 for actuating the syringeplungers. These rings are fixed and are situated one above the other. Between them is the frame F, which revolves upon its vertical axis and carries the syringes and the tube-holders. This frame in the arrangement shown rests upon the base E and is in part guided in the base and also in the upper framing G by means of a central shaft L, made hollow, so that the supply of viscid mass to the syringe may be effected through it, as also the supply of steam for heating it. This arrangment is shown at Figs. 9 and 10, the frame and parts that partake of its-1n otion being indicated by the closer-hatched sections.

The frame F is provided with two flanges F and F The lower one, F, has holes F in which the tube-holders Q slide up and down. To the upper one,F ,the syringes are attached. The rotation of the frame Fcan be effected by any suitable means. The ring F may advantageously be formed as a toothed ring F with which gears a worm or pinion at R, Figs. 6 and 7, the shaft of which is suitably driven at R. The supply of viscid material for the syringes is effected, as shown at Fig. 8, by means of the radial passages L, arranged within the frame in a transverse partition, which passages all radiate from the hollow shaft of the frame F, with which the pipe L is connected, the same being also connected by a stuffing-box L with the fixed supplypipe L so that no escape of material can take place at the point. By means of the cock L (shown in Fig. 8) the pipe L and the passage L can be em )tied when the machine is ut out of action. The passages L are advantageously heated from the outside, in order to maintain the viscid mass flowing through them somewhat more liquid and thus facilitate its fiow into the syringes. For this purpose a pipe S, Fig. 8, is arranged to lead steam over the partition containing the passages L. The water of condensation is led off by means of the conduit S, the funnel shape of the partition facilitating the collection thereof. As the frame F with the syringes rotates the plungers are moved continuously up and down ICC IIO 

